Welcome to my blog! I'm Abu, short for Abuela. I'm married to the Professor. We live on a small hobby "farm" in the beautiful Fingerlakes Region of Central New York.
As long as I can remember, I have loved making things. I spin, knit, felt, sew, weave, embroider; well, just about anything fibery.
In addition to being a fiberist, I am also a shepherdess. The Fleeceful Kingdom is home to a small flock of Shetland sheep.
I'll be sharing my creative adventures, the joys of raising Shetlands, and about trying to live simply and sustainably.

Weaving

09/15/2011

This is a week of many anniversaries: my surgery two years ago and starting on the road to recovery, leaving my job one year ago and leaping into the unknown, and my 30th wedding anniversary!

I have been using the time since the kids' camp to reflect on this past year; the joys and bumps in the road, the hurdles, the fears, the laughter, the tears. Last week, I also received an email from Japan that my application to be an authorized Saori studio has been approved!

Anniversary Cloth

I'm not sure where that leaves The Fleeceful Kingdom. I will still keep the name for my "hobby" farm; but tomorrow I file the papers, and rejoice in announcing the birth of Serendipity Saori Studio!

I love the Oxford English Dictionary definition:

ser·en·dip·i·ty--noun

• the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way

It can also mean good fortune; luck. Seems like a good name for my new venture, and also a good description of Saori weaving!

Pebble Beach

Of course, my weaving is helping me sort all this out, so many things are floating through my mind. I have to keep a notepad by the loom to jot down ideas as they come, otherwise I will forget. I love being open to these thoughts as they bubble and come to the surface. I could never come up with any of them by myself. But the weaving allows the space I need.

Fog

And, my one year blog anniversary is next week. My goodness! September is filled with so many special dates! Thanks for reading along and sharing in the journey.

09/02/2011

The loom arrived last week on the last day of camp (can you believe it?)! Moms, dads, grandmas and siblings had arrived for our "art show." The kids were superhyped to show their families their projects and introduce them to George. Everyone was enjoying the cookies and punch Tia Sari had made (there wasn't a crumb left!).

Suddenly, I looked up and saw a yellow Penske truck at the bottom of my driveway. What could that be? Then the driver unloaded a box onto a handtruck and pushed it all the way up the hill. I met him at the walk, and he apologized for being three hours late; his truck had broken down. But like a true Pony Express carrier, the delivery must go through! It took everything in me to stay focused and not rush to tear open the box.

Here she is. I'm calling her Kernel Sanders, after my online mentor at SAORI Santa Cruz. The dictionary defines kernel as: "5. the central or most important part of anything; essence; gist; core." And my SAORI loom is just that!

So in my downtime this week, I have been weaving my little heart out! Oh, it feels so right. And SAORI makes it so comfortable. No back pain like on my big loom. I can sit for hours and loose all track of time. When the Professor leaves for work, I put on Joni Mitchell and sing at the top of my lungs, rocking and weaving, and just enjoying the feel of the threads, the colors, the textures. Oh my!

My first scarf was woven with recycled sari silk. A sari silk scarf for Tia Sari!

The next scarf was woven during the hurricane; hence the moodiness and the colors reflecting the changes in sky and light.

But the last scarf on the pre-warp (did I mention that the SAORI loom comes already pre-warped? It took me one hour to set up and start weaving [!!!]), I really lost myself. I was having such a good time, and was not paying attention to how much warp remained. I have wanted to try a mobius scarf for quite some time. And my friend Jill (may I call you my friend?) at SAORI Santa Cruz posted a great tutorial on how to do so. But like I said, I was neither here nor there, but somewhere in between, when suddenly I realized I had run out of warp!

To do a mobius, you untie the cloth from the front beam (another incredible SAORI feature), fold the scarf putting a twist in, then use the warp ends as weft. I did not have any room to weave in the ends! But I was determined to make this work, and somehow managed to squeeze them in with a quarter inch to spare!

But I didn't consider that both the warp and the weft would be black cotton! So to give some interest, I tucked in treasures; bits of yarn and scraps that I had also included in the scarf.

When I went to remove the scarf from the loom, I had tensioned the scarf around the front beam, so I couldn't remove the scarf! I remembered reading about this, and went back to Jill's post:

"REMEMBER NOT TO WRAP THE SCARF AROUND THE BREAST BEAM BEFORE YOU TENSION! Otherwise you will have woven around the the beam and cannot get it off! Just fold the woven part in half and tuck in and turn the cloth beam till it catches."

I couldn't think. There was a lump in my throat, and a sinking feeling in my chest. I just had to walk away. It was late, and I decided to sleep on it.

In the morning, I cut (gulp) it off the front beam, ran to the sewing machine, and sewed it up. Then I used a needle to try to loosen the weft threads because I had had to cram them in such a little shed. I started to relax. I kept saying to myself, "It's going to be okay."

So here is what I'm calling my Mobi(b)us(t) scarf:

Not as bad of a bust as I thought it would be, but I think it will be a while before I attempt another mobius scarf!

And some good news: I sent my application to be an Authorized SAORI studio to Japan yesterday, complete with studio, portfolio, and teaching photos. Keep your fingers crossed that I will receive a positive response quickly!

08/09/2011

Since Tia Sari is home, she is teaching me the ins and outs of Facebook, and I am going along kicking and screaming. (Oh no, another time suck)!

I really test her patience with my stupid questions trying to learn the difference between a fan, a favorite, a follower, until i use the other f-word out of my frustration!

She says the more I use it, the more it will make sense. (Am I just the wrong generation or something? I don't even have a cell phone, or a TV. Do I really need this)???

This version of Typepad will not allow me to add the Facebook widget, so you can find me here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fleeceful-Kingdom/119028321514383

Please check out my page, maybe even "Like" what you read and see, as my little sheepies and I pass around our notes in the internet world!

The girls came over Sunday. Aimee loves a pony ride.

Frida and Aimee love to feed George timothy through the fence.

I've been kind of worried about Georgie. If you've been reading along, back in the Spring when we sheared, Georgie had his hooves trimmed. There was a little blood when he was trimmed. Not a lot. But he was very sore and limped for about a week after.

I was going back through my photos, and I found a picture before he was trimmed.

This is what his hooves look like now:

Are they supposed to be all white? None of the other sheep hooves look like this. He seems to be walking okay. No sign of a limp. This just doesn't look right to me.

In the garden, the flax is ready!

When I returned from Costa Rica, I went to check out my dye garden. I mean my weed garden. Oh my gosh! How a little plot of dirt can get so carried away and go bad so quickly! I was a bit distracted with all the doctor's appointments, surgery, PT, etc. and didn't make the garden a priority. I walked in, took a look around, was so overwhelmed, I walked right back out!

But on Sunday, I made myself go in. Maybe there is something here that can be salvaged. Most of the flax has blossomed. The stalks have turned yellow green. I think they are ready to pull! So this week, in between getting ready for farm to yarn camp, going to help a blind lady with her weaving (5 hour round-trip drive), preparing fall classes, and family coming to visit, I will be pulling flax!

I made a Journey Loom to take a "test drive" with before camp starts. Oh, it felt so good to get my hands on some fiber, even if it was just putting on a warp. When I get grumpy, I need to remember this! Fiber: the balm for my soul!

I'm also playing with finger crocheting roving to make a small floor rug, which will be felted, a mini-version of this under some farm picked peaches:

Tia Sari is spoiling us with her fabuluous cooking now that she is up and around and off the crutches. She can make summer taste so good!

08/03/2011

Life is indeed happening fast. After completing Summer Art Camp, we took a family trip to the Cape to celebrate my father-in-law's 90th birthday. This was only the second time in ten years we have gone away as a family (the last time was for Poppa's 85th); one of us usually stays behind for the animals. It was a huge leap of faith to trust someone with our beloved four-legged creatures. Everyone did fine, despite the record temperatures. We enjoyed a gorgeous weekend, seeing family, and the beach!

Just before we left, Sarah announced she made a decision to return to the States after graduation. Yipee! So between art camp, travel, house guests, the birthday party, and physical therapy, we made last minute changes and left for Costa Rica two days after returning from the Cape!

We were able to sell most of her stuff, and what we didn't sell, we packed and shipped. Thank goodness for my mom! She was coming for the graduation anyway, but ended up packing boxes and keeping Sari on task. You forget how much you accumulate after living in a place for 4-1/2 years! We had ten days to accomplish this amazing feat. Sari sold all the pots, pans, and dishes, but when the bed sold…well, it was time to go to a hotel!

The graduation ceremony was beautiful, even though my mom and I didn't speak Spanish, we were able to follow along. I'm so proud of Sari; she graduated with honors, and received a certificate for achieving a 100 on her thesis (written in another language)!!! We so enjoyed meeting Sari's friends and their families, and I'm so grateful to her adopted Costa Rica moms who looked after her, especially when she damaged her knee!

We were delayed a day on our way home (missed a flight), and now we are contending with a time change and total exhaustion.

I was able to finish this summer tank top during PT appts. and flight times. (Pattern here). I'm happy with the way it came out. I can't think the last time I knit something for myself. It's really comfy and cool, but in the Fall, I can see wearing it over a turtleneck.

On Monday, we celebrated my birthday a day early (because the Professor teaches late on Tuesdays). Em and Sari made me a gluten-free birthday cake with an orange glaze. Delicious! I can't think the last time I had cake!

For my birthday, Em made me this awesome felted bucket bag to hold my yarn, needles, and current project. I just love it, and Frida picked the colors! I think we need to sell this in the shop!

Sari and the Professor gave me a book I have had on my wish list forever. I hope to incorporate some of the ideas and projects with my teaching.

And how did my little sheepies fare in my absence? Well, they didn't want to have anything to do with me last night! I went to bring them in, and walked through the pasture with their grain dish (just a little bit to encourage them), down to the run-in shed, and my sheepies were following. But George was the only one to step inside; everyone else bolted! So I came out and circled, coming up behind them to herd them down to the run-in shed again, and they bolted a second time! I tried a third time. I threatened to get a llama who will spit in their face! I threatened to call their Ohio mama and tell her they are bad sheepies and misbehaving! The Professor came in the pasture to assist. By now, it was dark, and I was tired and all worn out. The Professor stayed out, coaxing, circling, pleading. Eventually even he gave up, and my sheepies spent the night in the open air (they could still go in the shed if they wanted to). First thing this morning I asked the Professor, "Do I still have six sheep?" "Yes!" What a relief!

In the daylight, I noticed how much their faces have changed again. Timothy is wearing black stockings and his face has darkened. And so has Georgie's!

I received an email from Saori Japan just before I left. When I complete my next Advanced Basic Classes in Worcester, scheduled for mid-August, I can send in my application to be an authorized Saori studio and equipment dealer!

Woolly Week Summer Camp for kids starts in two weeks! I am planning lots of fun projects and activities, and Sari will be baking lots of delicious snacks for the kids.

07/13/2011

Life has taken unexpected twists and turns. I was very disappointed that my summer art camp at the Schweinfurth was cancelled this week. I am trying to be positive: family is coming to visit, we are all trekking to Poppa's 90th birthday party, it lessens the load as I take Sarah to therapy three times a week, etc.

I need a gift for my step mother-in-law when we go to the birthday party. I threw on a warp last week I call, "The New York Times" ("what's black and white and red all over?").

I think it will make a nice guy scarf, but it's not for her. It's more a manly man scarf. It's short, due to the felting, and really fluffy. Enough to fold over your chest. Yes, a chest-warmer-type scarf to tuck in an overcoat.

Now we are on countdown to leaving; the pressure is on. I have only hours. I threw on another warp yesterday, sat at the loom. Nope. This is not right either!

She likes green; wears green. But not bright green. More like olive, or sage, or a dusty, darker green. So my backup plan is to give her the cotton chenille scarf that did not sell at the show.

I'm so cranky! I am realizing it's because I don't have time to weave. I'm out of sorts. I'm not working through anything. I miss that quiet space I go to to heal, renew, restore and refresh.

So this is my lesson: When you think you don't have time to weave, that is when you need it the most!

07/10/2011

I sure feel like I had my stuffing knocked out last week! Whew! The week flew past, and the next thing I knew, it was Friday, and all the moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, brothers, sisters, it seemed like all of Auburn was there for our art exhibition!

We had a great time! We dyed yarn and roving, made felt balls and ropes, finger knit jump ropes and shoelaces, spool knit crazy animals, and wove tapestries on cardboard looms.

Three parents came up to me during the "show" and told me my class was the only thing their kid talked about all week! They said it was fun to have something different rather than the usual painting class. They loved that I talked about history, and that the kids learned to do something with their hands other than play with video games, iPods, cell phones, etc.

06/29/2011

Things are not going as planned. I am working hard trying to accept this as part of my path right now. But it's frustrating. Rather than fighting it, I am trying to accept it, to make peace with this path; a bend in the road. Trying to move through it.

I am so grumpy lately! There is little time to make anything, so many things asking for attention. But yesterday, while Sarah was napping, I sat down with a hula hoop and some shredded t-shirts to try a project I want to do for art camp. It's not a new idea, but a new-to-me idea. Suddenly, things felt better. My hands and fingers were busy. My mind became quiet. Oh! Sweet relief!

I hope the kids will like this project! Mine is big enough for a soft, squishy rug for the bathroom. I just have to take it off the hoop and tie some fringe.

06/27/2011

Saturday was the Marcellus Skaneateles Art Guild's festival, Art in the Park; my first time being on the other side of the table! I checked the 5-day forecast on Tuesday; it was supposed to rain all week and be a beautiful weekend. Well, all I have to say is, I am so thankful that it did not rain when we were unloading or packing up!

I took a break in setting up to take some pictures before the show opened to the public. This was the view from my booth:

And The Fleeceful Kingdom's booth during a pause in the rain!

Despite the torrential rain and wind in the morning, I handed out all my business cards and brochures on Woolly Week summer camp, and met lots of great people out to support local artists. I wish my daughter Emilie could have been there to hear all the nice comments about her knitting. For a first-time show, we are really pleased and encouraged.

Please keep checking my Etsy shop, because I have lots of new items to post in the next couple of weeks (http://www.etsy.com/shop/fleecefulkingdom).

On Sunday I was demonstrating finger knitting at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center's Family Fun Day. I had a busy table, lots of yarn, and eager children and adults wanting to learn how to make some funky necklaces, bracelets, and headbands. All this has me geared up and excited about summer art camp.

Oh, I do miss my loom, though! Maybe I will get a chance to throw a warp on this week before art camp starts. I did manage to squeeze in some finger knitting while Sarah had physical therapy today. How do you like my new shoelaces?

06/22/2011

The loom sits idle. Too much is happening: a trip to PA for graduation, father's day, two surgeries for family in the same week, preparations for summer art camps, the art festival on Saturday, etc.

So I work on the "invisible." I close my eyes at night to a river of warp threads floating through my dreams. Purples and blues and turquoise, with a pinch or orange, maybe some pink. It will have to wait. It must wait.

I did manage to get this on and off the loom last week; a recycled felted sweater rug.

I scored these sweaters on sale last summer at a local thrift store.

I came home and felted them in the washing machine/dryer, but they sat in a storage bin waiting to be discovered.

I cut the sleeves in strips, and felted them again. They came out of the dryer cord-like.

I rolled the strips in balls, and free-wove in Saori style.

I wasn't sure what it was going to be: a rug? a messenger bag? pillows? tablerunner?

After taking it off the loom, it told me it did not want to be cut up! So for now, it is squishy and soft under my feet, so a rug it will be (until it tells me otherwise)!

In the coming weeks, I will be working a lot on the invisible because I will not have the luxury of time. I need to accept that. It is hard to gear down after pushing to get stuff made. And there is also fear. What if I don't get back to it?

It has been such a great time; a time of discovery, a time of healing, a time of reaching deep down inside and pulling out what is in there.

Welcome to my blog! I'm Abu, short for Abuela. I'm married to the Professor. We live on a small "farm" in the beautiful Fingerlakes Region of Central New York. I'll be posting on my journey to create a more simple life way.